San Emidio Geothermal Plant | |
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Country |
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Location | Washoe County, Nevada |
Coordinates | 40°22′09″N 119°24′21″W / 40.3693°N 119.4057°W |
Commission date | Empire Geothermal Plant: 1987 Phase 1 reconstruction: 2012 |
Owner(s) | U.S. Geothermal |
Power generation | |
Nameplate capacity | 11.8 MW |
Annual net output | 64,436 MWh (2018) [1] |
San Emidio Geothermal Plant, in Washoe County, Nevada, is a geothermal power plant with a design capacity of 11.8 megawatts (15,800 hp). The upgraded plant went online on May 25, 2012. [2] [3]
The plant is the second to occupy the site. The older 3.6-megawatt (4,800 hp) plant, originally known as the Empire Geothermal Plant, which was sold by Empire Geothermal Power LLC to U.S. Geothermal Inc. in 2008, [4] was commissioned in 1987. Phase I of the reconstruction added an 8.6-megawatt (11,500 hp) generator. [2] [3] [5] [6]
In January, 2020, the BLM initiated an environmental assessment concerning a possible new 40-megawatt (54,000 hp) power plant, substation, as many as 25 geothermal and injection wells, a 7.5 mile above ground pipeline and a 58 mile long power line terminating in Fernley, NV. [7] The powerline will parallel an existing 500kV line and use existing access roads. [7]